Nigerians have taken to social media to express mixed reactions following PayPal’s renewed engagement with the country, with a mix of boycott calls, cautious optimism and opportunity.
The partnership with local fintech firm, Paga, disclosed by Paga’s founder, Tayo Oviosu will now allow users to receive payments on the platform.
The development marks a major shift in PayPal’s long-restricted operations in Nigeria, where users were previously unable to receive funds despite being able to make outbound payments.
What Nigerians are saying
Several Nigerians took to X, arguing that the company’s return does not erase past grievances, particularly issues around account freezes, withheld funds, and service restrictions.
Calling for a boycott, @Lord_Of_Warri wrote:
“DON’T USE IT! They seized our people’s money for years and stigmatized us as fraudsters… Hell No, we have better local platforms that do it faster and cheaper. Boycott them and support Naija fintech! #BoycottPayPal”
- @sankofa360 added:
“If Nigerians have any self-respect, they will kick out PayPal. PayPal has been operating in countries like India, Indonesia, Brazil, etc, but came up with an excuse for Nigeria at a time when young Nigerians needed their service.
“Whatever they accuse Nigerians of, these countries are 10X more guilty. Any Nigerian with an iota of self-respect will boycott PayPal”
- @neduconrad
“If you’re trying to use this, boycott. PayPal saw the rage about them for weeks and knew it’s in their best interest to integrate rather than fully deploy in Nigeria – it’s still PayPal. We’ve moved on to better merchants that won’t seize our money based on whatever they feel like. Enjoy.”
@startupsavage expressed concern over potential fund restrictions
“Congratulations, you’ve successfully brought the world’s most efficient account-freezing machine to Nigeria. I can’t wait for the ‘Gig workers’ you mentioned to have their funds held for 180 days for ‘security reasons’ without any customer support.”
- @Steadi_lady posted:
“If you’re planning to use PayPal in Nigeria, be careful. They’re quick to withhold money, and you don’t have a government that will fight your battles for you.”
Other perspectives
However, some users offered a more business-focused perspective.
- @Finaltoucch
“PayPal didn’t suddenly trust Nigerians. They just didn’t want to be left behind. More Nigerians are now earning clean foreign income from freelancing and remote work. And many of these freelancers are already getting paid through the likes of Raenest , Payoneer, Deel, and even crypto.
Money was moving. PayPal was not involved. So they reopened Nigeria. Same reason banks like UBA, Wema and GTBank also restored international Naira cards. It’s just business, and I understand,” she said
- @connectwithtola
“PayPal’s return to Nigeria is less about inclusion and more about pushing its PYUSD, PayPal’s #stablecoin, in a market known for making financial tools go viral through sheer usage and innovation? “Reports that PayPal has reopened its full services to Nigerians shouldn’t be applauded, such move deserves honest scrutiny,”he added
- @OpeyemiDrift said:
“Paga will make a lot of money. The rest of you can continue to be angry about the PayPal partnership. That’s what separates the rich from the poor. The rich lead with sense while the poor let emotions blind them.”
Meanwhile, @doctorwalesmd said:
“Yeah good for them, congratulations to PayPal and everyone involved, but I am sticking to Greyfinance. Even if I am their only customer, that’s completely fine.”
What you should know
The root of PayPal’s limited functionality in Nigeria dates back to concerns over fraud and insufficient financial regulations. In 2004, PayPal blacklisted several African countries, including Nigeria, due to high rates of credit card fraud, particularly involving credit card laundering.
- Fraud rings were using stolen financial details to create PayPal accounts, posing a significant threat to the integrity of the platform’s global operations.
- According to PayPal, the absence of stringent national ID systems and banking regulations in some African nations allowed these criminal networks to exploit PayPal’s system.
With this new partnership, users can link their PayPal accounts to Paga wallets, view PayPal balances within the Paga app, and convert and withdraw funds in Naira.
